Textile yarn and fabric and the production thereof



Aug. 10, 1937. v H .DREYFUS l 2,089,194

TEXTILE YARN AND FABRIC AND THE;l PRODUCTION THEREOF Filed DBC. 5, 1935 'ngt EQ, l

TEXTKLE YARN FABRIC THE PRO- D'UCTION 'EEREOF Henry Dreyfus, London, England Application December 5, 1935, Serial No.` 53,034

In Great Britain December 7, 1934 12 Claims.

of such yarns as described in British Patents I j l@ Nos. 437,019, 438,590 and 440,653. s

According to ,the invention, steam is applied intermittently to at least part of the yarn receiving twist in a crpe-twisting operation so as to produce crpe-twisted yarn that has had part 15 of its twist inserted in the presence of steam.

. As indicated in the specifications above referred to, the effectiveness of the steam twisting appears to depend upon the presence of moisture during the twisting. For the purpose of the present ino vention, therefore, theY intermittently applied steam may itself be moist, e. g. the steam may be partially condensed in the vicinity of the yarn,

or the yarn itself may be mo'istened prior to the .application of the. steam, in' which case dry steam may be intermittently applied. Thus, for ex ample, the yarn'may be passed through a steam chamber conveniently having the construction described in British Patent No. 440,653, steam being admitted to the chamber through a valveo controlled opening that is opened and closed at intervals by'means of cam or other suitable gear operating with the Y desired frequency. having regard to the rate of trayelof the thread being twisted. Prior to reaching the steaming cham- 35- ber, the yarn may be caused to pass in contact with a r'noistening device or otherwise receive `moisture.

A further way of carrying out the invention consists in intermittently moistening the yarn 40 prior to subjecting it to a dry steam treatment, the effectiveness of the treatment thusbeing largely confined to the moistened portions of the yarn.

While the invention may be employed in the 45 manufacture of crpel yarns in general it is particularly applicable to the manufacture of crpe yarn of cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose in that the steamed portions of the yarn have high crimping power im- 50 parted thereto.` It is found that the filaments tions of the yarn may be so closely packed that the apparent specific gravity of the steamed portions as determined from the diameter and denier ismore than 8,5%, e. g. 85 to 90% of the actual specific gravity of the filaments, and that distortion of the cross-section of at least some of the laments in the steamed portions of the yarn has 'occurred during the process of twisting. The filaments of the yarn, however,are not stuck together and can be separated upon untwlsting.

Moreover, the steamed' portions of the yarn are smooth and cylindrical, as opposed to the rough feel and helical form of the unsteamed portions of the yarn or of a cellulose acetate yarn ora viscose yarn which has been crpe twisted in the ordinary way. Further, in comparison with these latter yarns the smooth, cylindrical, steamed portions of the yarn treated according -to the invention exhibit much less tendency to snarl or kink.

'Ihe crpe elect in fabrics made of or containing yarn treated according to the invention may be 'varied by varying the lengths of the portions subjected to the moist steam-treatment vand the ratio between these lengths and the remaining portions of the yarn.' The intermittent treatment may be regular or irregular `in character as desired.

The intermittent steam treatment may be used in conjunction with intermittent twisting, for example in conjunction with means for conning -the different degrees of twist to particular lengths of the yarn. When the intermittent steaming and th`e intermittent twisting are used in conjunction, the two treatments may be of different frequency so that the resultant effect is a combinationof the two separate differential effects applied to the yarn.

By way of example. some forms of apparatus for carrying out the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which j Figure 1 is a front elevation of apparatus for twisting and intermittently steaming yarn;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of part of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic end elevation. of l a modification of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of-a detail of Figures 1, 2, and 3; and y Figure 5 is a front elevation -of a form of apparatus for performing the same function'as the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1..

Referring to Figure 1, yarn 6 is highly twist- 'Y ed by being drawn upwardly over the heads of rotating twisting bobbins 1 and wound on packages 8 each of which is driven by a friction drum 9 mounted on a shaft I9.

Disposed in the path of each yarn 6 between the drums 9 and the twisting bobbins 'l is a tubular chamber II which is supplied with moist steam from a header I2 through a connecting pipe I3. The steam may be moistened by passing through a water container (not shown) before being admitted into the header I2. Each chamber II is openat its ends and is slotted lengthwise at I4 "for a purpose hereinafter to be described. On entering the chamber Il some condensation .of the steam occurs and the steam is substantially saturated on being applied to the yarn 6. Y

Shafts I5 disposed respectively between the .steam chambers II and the drums 9 and the steam chambers and the twisting bobbins 'l each carry a grooved yarn-guiding cam I6 directly in line with the path of the yarn, but normallyout of contact with the yarn. The cams are set in similar positions on the two shafts I5 which are rotated in synchronism by chain and sprocket gearing I1, I8. L

On rotation of the shafts I5 the cams I 6 engage the travelling yarns and push each-yarn laterally out of the corresponding steam chamber I I through the slot I4 and away from the vicinity of the steam, the diverting of the path of the yarns beingk shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. The longitudinal movement of the yarns and the twisting thereof continue during the engagement of the yarns with the cams I6, and in this man- 35 ner a predetermined length of each yarn is allowed to pass the corresponding steamchamber II without beingsteamed.

The continued rotationof the cams I6 now allows the yarns to return to their normal direct 40 path through the steam chambers II for the steaming of a further length of the yarns, after which the cycle of operations is repeated. .The

diverting of the lpathof the yarns is insufficient substantially to affect the regularity of the twist 45 inserted in the yarns. The yarns are traversed toandfro along the winding packages by guides I9 which are reciprocated by cam or like means (not shown). Q y i Figure 3 illustrates a more. positive form of 50 yarn controlling. mechanism.' The yarn 6 is engaged at each end of the steam chamber II by l guides which are secured to curved arms 2| pivoted about points 22. I'he arms'2l are connected by a freely pivoted link 23, the whole ar- 55 rangement rbeing oscillated about the pivots 22A by a rotating cam 2 4 which bears against lan extension of Athe lower arm 2'I. The extent of the movement of the arms 2| is indicated in dotted lines, Ithe yarn 6 being pushed laterally 60 out of the steam chamber II from the vicinity of the steam in accordance with the positionof the cam 24. A tension spring 26 secured at one end to an extension 21 of the upper arm 2| and at thev other end -to a fixed part of .the twisting 65 machine ensures the return of the guides 2D to their normal position;. V

Figure 5 illustrates another form of apparatus by which the yarns 6 are steamed at intervals. Each yam 6 in passing upwardly from its twist` l 70 ing bobbin to the package 8 is guided through a steam header 28 and tube 29, the header and tube being closed except for small yarn guiding apertures 30.

Moist steam is admitted into the header 28 at 75 a constant rate from a supply pipe 3l controlled by a valve 32, the yarns 6 thus passing through steam between the guides 30. The steam is sucked from the 'header 28 at intervals, however, through a suction pipe 33 in connection with a powerful suction vessel (not shown), the intermittent application of the suction being controlled by a valve 34 of the butterfiy" type which is opened and closed at the desired intervals by a. cam 35 bearing on the lever 36 of the valve. The lever 36 is returned to the closed position of the valve by a tension spring 31 in connection with the lever.

The power of the suction is such that on opening of the valve 34 not only is the whole of the steam in the header 28 sucked away substantially immediately (cold air entering the header through the guiding apertures but the whole of the .steam from the supply pipe 3| also is sucked directly across the end of the header throughthe pipe 33 without contacting with the yarns.

The yarns 6 may be moistened prior to being steamed by lcontacting with a roller 39 (Figure 2) which dips into a water trough 40. The roller 39 may be grooved or felt-covered and may rotate freely under the influence of the travelling yarns or may be driven by chain or like means (not shown). While the moistening .roller 39 is shown only in connection with apparatus employing steam chambers II, it will be understood that it could also be employed in the apparatus shown in Figure 5 or in any steaming apparatus, and especially so when dry steam is used to set the twist. in the yarns. If desired, the yarns can be moistened intermittently along their length as, for example, by causing the yarns to contact intermittently with the moistening roller or by moving the roller or other liquid-applying device into and out of contact with the yarns at intervals.

It will be understood that the frequency of the steamed and unsteamed portions of the yarns and/or the extent of the lengths of. the steamed and unsteamed portions of the yarns can simply be varied to modify the crping properties of the yarns. Thus, for example, in the apparatus il- Similarly, with regard to the apparatus illus-v trated in Figure 5, the rate of operation of the suction valve 34 can be varied and, if desired,

. the operating cam 35 can be replaced by One having a diier'ent profile t0 give slower or quicker operation of the suction valve. In any of the ,forms orapparatus illustrated the frequency of the steamed and unsteamed portions of the yarns may be varied by varying the rate of travel oi' the yarns through the steaming devices.

What claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:- d

1. Process for the production of crpe yarn, comprising steaming a yarn at intervals along its lengthl under conditions such that moisture is present and, concomitantly with such steaming, crpe-twisting the yarn so that the parts being steamed are at the same time being twisted.

V2. Process for the production of crpe yarn,

comprising steaming at intervals along its length a yarn of cellulose acetate or other organic de rivative of cellulose, under conditions such that moisture is present, and, concomitantly with such steaming, crpe-twisting the yarn so that the parts being steamed are at the same time being twisted.

. lustrated in Figures 1 to 3 the rate of rotation of with such steaming, crpe-twisting the yarn so crpe-twisting the yarn so that the parts being' that the parts being steamed are at the same time being twisted.

4. Process for the production of crpe yarn, comprising drawing a yarn over an end of a supply package, applying steam to the yarn at intervals alongits length, under conditions such that moisture is present, and rotating the supply package to crpe-twist the yarn so that the parts being steamed are at the same time being twisted.

5. Process for the production of crpe yarn, comprising drawingbver an end of a supply package ayarn containing filaments of cellulose acetate or other organic derivative of cellulose, applying steam to the yarn at intervals along its length, `under conditionsvsuch that moisture is present, and rotating the supply package to crpetwist the yarn vso that the parts being steamed are at the same time being twisted.

6. Process for the production of crpe yarn, comprising moistening a running yarn, passing the yarn through steam, removing the steam from the vicinity of the yarn at intervals, and

steamed are at the same time being twisted.

7. Process for the production'of crpe yarn, comprising moistening a running yarn, passing the yarn through steam," moving the yarn from thevicinity of the steam at intervals, and crpetwisting the yarn so that the'parts being steamed are atthe same time being twisted. Y

8.. Apparatusfor the production of crpe yarn, comprising means for applying steamto a yam at intervals along its length, and means for crpetwisting the yarn' so as to insert twist in the steamed parts thereof while they are being steamed.

9. Apparatus for the production of crpe yarn,

comprising a steam chamber adapted to apply steam to a yarn at intervals along its length, 5'

comprising means for crpe-twisting the yarn,

means for winding the yarn so twists d, a steam chamber disposed in the path of the rsi-n between the twisting means and the winding means and adapted lto apply steam to the running yarn while it is receiving twist, and cam means adapted to divert the path vof the yarn from the vicinity of the steam chamber at intervals.

11. Apparatus for the production of crpe yarn, comprising means for crpe-twisting the yarn,

means for winding the yarn so twisted, a steam chamber disposed in thel path of the yarn between the twisting means and the winding means and adapted to apply steam to the running yarn while it is receiving twist, means for supplying the chamber with steam, and suction means forJ removing steam from the chamber at intervals during the passage of the yarn through the chamber.

12. Apparatus for the production of crpe yarn,

comprising means for crpe-,twisting the yarn,

means for moistening the yarn, means for winding the yarn, a steam chamber disposed in the path of the yarn between the twisting means and 4 the winding means and adapted to apply steam to the running yarn while it is receiving twist, and

cam means adapted to divert the path of the yarn from the vicinity of the steam chamber' at intervals.

- HENRY DREYFUS. 

